Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I LOVE fall! So much, in fact, that I have been cooking and baking like a fool and still had the inspiration to blog it out. (You'd be shocked how much is intended for the blog but never makes it!) Anyway, my canned pumpkin stock has been beckoning from the cabinet and after seeing Dani's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies this weekend, I was inspired to whip out this quick bread. And, in my opinion, the best part about this recipe has to be that it makes 2 loaves. One for now and one for later, baby!

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1-1/2 cups canola oil
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

Blueberry Buckle

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
TOPPING:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fold in the blueberries. Pour into greased 9-in. square baking pan.
2. For topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberry mixture. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

This should really be called chocolate cake, with a hint of banana. But since most of us probably would eat this for breakfast, let's stick with banana bread.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3 Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

LPO Zucchini Bread

Our house was down and out with the flu last week and as a result most of our LPO box went uncooked. So yesterday, in an effort to use up some of our veggies before they spoiled, I spent the afternoon baking and cooking. One of the veggie recipes I used was for zucchini bread. Super simple, extremely good and I always have all the ingredients on hand! While I usually just sprinkle the top and bottom with granulated sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven (a trick from my mom-in-law) this time I tried a streusal topping. Either way you decide to go, it's tasty!

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini

OPTIONAL STREUSAL:
1/2 cup regular oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Combine and sprinkle over batter before cooking

DIRECTIONS:
Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Add streusal topping*
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, sprinkle with sugar** and completely cool.